Find Fisheries expertise in Tuvalu

Fisheries, together with forestry and agriculture, contribute 17% of Tuvalu’s GDP (2008). Fisheries are located solely in coastal waters, as Tuvalu does not have any inland fisheries. Tuvalu has an ocean area of 900,000 km², and the majority of species caught are ocean species such as skipjack and yellowfin tuna. Commercial fishing in Tuvalu is minimal, with subsistence activities dominating the sector. The exception is a small fleet of skiffs in Funafuti which trawl for tuna. The fisheries sector is estimated to employ – including aquaculture – about 4000 people, while the number employed in the secondary sector is unknown, and the gross value of fisheries output in 2007 was estimated at about $43,000,000. About two thirds of all households in Tuvalu are believed to be involved in fishing activities, although mainly for own consumption.

Subsistence fishing dominates the sector, and domestic fishing is small compared to the size of the foreign fleet which is very large, yet Tuvalu does generate revenue from access fees for these vessels, estimated to contribute about 13% of government revenues in 2007. Virtually none of the fish caught by foreign vessels is brought onshore. However, the marine catch profile is largely the four main species of tuna, namely bigeye, yellowfin, skipjack and albacore. There are no inland fisheries in Tuvalu, and there are no functional aquaculture activities.

Responsibility for fisheries and marine resource matters is vested in two agencies, the Fisheries Department and the National Fishing Corporation of Tuvalu (NAFICOT), both of which are divisions of the Ministry of Natural Resources. The Department of Fisheries is responsible for the control, management and development of fisheries while NAFICOT is responsible specifically for commercial fisheries development. Tuvalu is a member of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission which aims to conserve and manage tuna stocks. Intervention into fisheries by Tuvalu’s national government is largely restricted to obtaining revenue from the foreign offshore fisheries. There are not many national management measures in place, but the main act guiding the management of fisheries is the Marine Resources Act 2006, whose principal objective is to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the living marine resources for the benefit of the people of Tuvalu. Other important legislation includes the Marine Zones Act of 1993 and the National Fishing Corporation of Tuvalu Act of 1980.